Shannon here: Aubrey Reiss Taylor shares her inspiration for her Historical Fiction/Fairytale Retelling, Schneewittchen included in the Novella collection, A Worthy Love. Comment or answer the question in any post dated March 3rd – 17th to enter the drawing for a copy of the collection, plus 3 other books. Deadline: March 21st, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Aubrey:
Who doesn’t love a good fairy tale? Many of our well-loved fairytales originate from German-speaking lands, and with my focus on German-perspective historical fiction, it seemed only natural that I would eventually attempt to recreate one of the many stories recorded by Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm.
The story I selected was Snow White. In my retelling, I decided to honor the original German title, Schneewittchen. The joke is, of course, that the original versions of these stories often end tragically, unlike the retellings we are used to. Add to that the fact that I’m writing in the World War II era. How could I make a happy ending for two young people on the losing side of history’s most destructive war?
First, let’s meet our Schneewittchen, Gerda Gatzke. Like Snow White, Gerda’s mother died and her father remarried. Shortly thereafter, her father died as well. Her stepmother proved to be an unkind woman—though one can’t be sure whether she’s evil, or just mean.
Through a mutual contact, Gerda is sent to live with the Jodl family—an ailing woman and her six adopted sons. The seventh son, Thomas, is away serving Germany, though his gentle, calming presence can be felt through his portrait on the mantle—and his adoptive mother speaks lovingly of him, as if he were her own flesh and blood.
Frau Jodl’s kind words about Gerda do not escape Thomas’s attention, either. However, there is someone else who has taken notice of Gerda. Originally sent by Gerda’s stepmother to reclaim something of value, the Huntsman has fallen in love with the young woman—a deep and sinister kind of obsession that begins to infiltrate every corner of her life, bringing fear and danger to the entire Jodl household.
With Thomas far away in East Prussia, it is up to the other boys to defend their home, their mother, and Gerda. With his connections, Thomas secures a few of his comrades to look in on the family. All is going according to plan until one of the soldiers turns on them.
Thomas races through the night, through war-torn Germany, to take matters into his own hands. He arrives to find Gerda comatose, reviving her with a special herbal blend from his housekeeper’s apothecary. Yet it isn’t long before the Huntsman discovers Thomas’s presence and determines to deal with him as well.
I don’t need to tell you that this story has a bittersweet ending—happy, but realistic for the time in which it is set. Characters and readers alike must face the fact that at the war’s end, Germany lay in ruins. Millions of young men had been killed or taken prisoner by the Allies.
How I could weave together something that would reflect the time period and please readers at the same time? The answer was simple: in the final paragraphs, Gerda reflects on how she sees her troubles as something that would serve to give her compassion for others. It is also a reminder to myself and others that finding happiness (or rather, joy, which has far greater value) is a choice, especially when everything around you has fallen apart. Here’s the scene, in Thomas’s words:
Excerpt from Schneewittchen by Aubrey Reiss Taylor:
[Gerda] shakes her head. “I’m all right, Thomas. What I went through was difficult, but what others went through was so much worse. If my experience makes me more sensitive to those around me, then it was absolutely worth it.”
Drawing her close with my free arm, I breathe a prayer and thank God for the woman He’s given me. If other people learn to love the way my Gerda does, there will be hope for us all.
Reader Question: Have you ever read any of the original (translated) versions of Grimm’s or
other fairytales, and if so, which ones? Or what is your favorite fairytale?
March Book Bundle #1
Hill Country Redemption by Shannon Taylor Vannatter, Contemporary Romance, print
A Worthy Love, Novella Collection includes Aubrey Reiss Taylor’s Schneewittchen, Historical Romance print
Shetland Sunset by Linda Shenton Matchett, World War II Romance, digital
Second Chances and Second Cups by Donna Schlachter, Short Story Collection, digital
About Aubrey: Aubrey Reiss Taylor unites fascinating history with a passion for redemption, creating a unique brand of wartime sagas written from the German perspective. Her books hail from a Biblical worldview but are full of grit and honesty. She is the mother of three and married to her best friend Brian. Learn more & connect:
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About the novella – Schneewittchen: A Retelling of the Snow White Story Set in WWII Germany:
Gerda Gatzke is unsure whether life on a Bavarian homestead with six boys and an ailing woman is right for her, but she is determined to get away from her stepmother, and from the war that draws ever closer to her doorstep.
With little more than the clothes on her back and a treasured family heirloom, she arrives at the disheveled smallholding only to discover that she is no safer there than she was at home. The boys who were initially her charges soon become her protectors.
With his mother’s illness growing worse and his family in danger, Thomas Jodl determines to return home for the first time in five years. His heart is warmed by the kind-hearted young woman who has come to care for his mother and six brothers.
Thomas does not hesitate to place himself in danger, but when the threat neutralized, a new question arises: what will become of any of them once the war is lost?
About the collection: A Worthy Love:
Beyond the Bookery invites you to step into a collection of heartwarming, thrilling, and romantic historical fairy tale retellings.
Follow a WWII spy’s adventure in a Beauty and the Beast retelling that features a decaying chateau and danger around every corner, then immerse yourself in two Cinderella tales. One young woman seeks both answers and an escape from an evil stepmother and an arranged marriage. Another seeks an enduring hope for a brighter future. Join a Bavarian homestead in a retelling of Snow White where a woman learns the family she’s agreed to help may not only have strange gifts, but face hidden danger as well.
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Aubrey’s other titles.
Need extra books for gifts? Get your copy/copies now!
Come back March 12th for Linda Shenton Matchett!
Thanks again, Shannon!
I haven’t read any of the original Grimm’s fairytales. My favorite is Beauty and the Beast.
Thanks for taking the time to share, Kelly! I love Beauty and the Beast as well 🥀 I
I read a junior edition of Grimms with my children, and I read Schneewittchen in it’s original (translated) form before writing this. It is interesting to see the contrasts.
Hansel and Gretel
Thank you for taking the time to share, Natalya!
I have a winner! Karen Bergt won the drawing. I appreciate Aubrey for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.